every stopping point along the trail and allows me to select where I'll stop, my hiking pace, how many hours per day I'll hike, where I'll take days off...essentially everything. It's pretty great. I've put that I'll be hiking ten hours per day at an average pace of 2.25 miles per hour. The site then shows me how many miles I'll be hiking per day. With the settings that I used, the highest mileage in a day is about 21, but last year I did multiple 25s and at least a couple 27s, so I'm hoping I'll be hiking more miles than the site shows. So much to think about...
Really though I'm flying by the seat of my pants. My actual, concrete preparation (like packing boxes of food to have shipped to myself, or packing my pack and doing a test run...or anything else)...well, I haven't even started. That'll all be done pretty last minute. The thought of procrastinating when it comes to such an involved endeavor would make many people shudder in horror, but that's what I do. I'm used to it. Lack of preparation until the last minute is my wheelhouse so I'm sticking with what I know. I have all of my gear though, so...that's something. All my gear for now anyway. I'll definitely need new shoes at some point...
I'm trying not to worry unnecessarily. Or at all, because it's not constructive. But of course there's plenty to be concerned about...as I'm reminded by my own mind, as well as by plenty of people outside my mind. And it's annoying. I know people have questions and concerns. I suppose they should. But I'm at the point where I'm not too keen on hearing them. I have my own questions and concerns. Will I be able to discipline and motivate myself as much as needed? Will I be able to navigate mandatory detours/closures safely and efficiently? Will I become cripplingly lonely in the wilderness? Will I exercise the discipline to budget my money wisely so that I don't again run out of funds before reaching my ultimate goal? Hitchhiking alone...how's that gonna go? Will I spend too much time in towns? The good news about almost all of those concerns is that they involve my own deliberate choices. Disciplining and motivating myself to hike the necessary miles every day is as simple as making the decision to hike, and keep hiking...and on and on forever. Having enough money to finish the hike depends largely on the decision to budget ahead of time and only spend my allotted amount of money in each town in which I stay.
In theory, eliminating most of my worries regarding this hike should be as simple as understanding what I need to do and then doing that thing. The problem is that I know myself. Or at least I know how I've operated until this point in my life, many times tossing care and logic to the wind in order to do what I want. On the trail this will manifest itself in such ways as realizing that I can't technically afford to spend $25 on one dinner in town, but doing it anyway because it's an all-you-can-eat sushi buffet and I hiked hundreds of miles to get to it, so obviously I earned it.
I tend to be pretty dismissive of other people's concerns about this little adventure, and perhaps it appears that I'm being cavalier with my life...just disregarding reason to pursue this crazy dream. But I know the risks. I simply try not to dwell on any of them too much. Because what it all boils down to is getting to spend time in stunning, awe-inspiring, epic settings (and a few mundane/ugly/unpleasant ones as well) while simultaneously being challenged (physically and mentally) day after day, working to overcome doubts and fears and weaknesses...hopefully coming out stronger and better for it on the other side. And when I picture myself back on that trail, my happiness and excitement far outweighs my worries.
